The Deckhand and the Swan
by nerdywriter15
Summary: What would have happened if Emma, Hook, and Henry had had a little bit more time together while stuck in the AU version of the Enchanted Forest? Originally posted on Tumblr.
1. Prologue

This is the story of how I died. Oh don't worry, it's a very fun story. One with heroes and villains, a curse and a wedding, and (most importantly) a beautiful princess and her devilishly handsome pirate. But I'm getting ahead of myself. My apologies. Allow me to return to the beginning of this thrilling tale.

It all began, as many of the debacles of my abnormally long life have, with the cowardly imp Rumplestiltskin. He managed to convince himself that the best way to achieve his Happy Ending would be to live it out in a false reality in which bravery and heroism were handed to him on a silver platter. Although obtaining a happy ending in this way might seem impossible to some, he was able to do so with the help of Isaac, the Author.

There have been several individuals to hold the title of Author throughout the centuries. It was a sacred station which required its occupant to record the important events of the many realms that exist in our universe. They did so by using a magic quill of great power; whatever was written using the quill would inevitably come to pass.

However, the power of the quill became too much for Isaac. He used it to create a new reality - a reality in which villains like himself and Rumplestiltskin received their happy endings and where heroes were condemned to suffer without love forever. And that is where our story begins.


	2. Chapter 1

It was a quiet night aboard the infamous pirate ship the _Jolly Roger_ , which sat docked in one of the Enchanted Forest's many port towns. Captain Blackbeard and his crew, who had just returned from an exceptionally fruitful voyage to the realm of Arendelle, had abandoned their ship in favor of the many pleasures that the port had to offer. The pirates had congregated in the largest tavern they could find, and were liberally spending their spoils on food and drink. They talked and laughed loudly without a care in the world.

However, not every member of the crew was joining in the festivities of the night. One of the pirates lay asleep on his back in a small hammock in the corner of the _Jolly_ 's sleeping quarters. His disheveled raven hair fell into his eyes, and there was a dusting of three-day scruff across the bottom of his face. A faint scar ran up and down his right cheek, and his left hand was missing completely, a jagged scar covering the skin at the end of his wrist. Thick lashes framed his eyes, which remained closed as he turned onto his side and continued his peaceful slumber.

The pirate was not there to guard the ship, as one might have been inclined to believe. Captain Blackbeard was infamous throughout the realm as the most cutthroat pirate in history, and everyone in the land knew that the _Jolly Roger_ belonged to him. No one had ever attempted to steal his ship, knowing that even if they did manage to obtain it, they would not get far before they were captured and killed by its captain. Even the Evil Queen Snow White's forces left the ship alone.

No, the dark-haired pirate was not there to guard the ship. The pirate was left alone aboard the ship because he was a lowly deckhand who was looked down upon by the crew. He had not received a large enough portion of the spoils to make the trip into town worth it; a humble meal of bread and cheese was all that he would have been able to purchase. Even if he could have afforded more grand fare, the other members of the crew would not have welcomed him to sit at their table or share in their merriment. They would have told him to go back to the ship, and the cowardly deckhand would have obeyed as he always did.

During the day the abuse of the crew and his own cowardice haunted the deckhand, and made him wish for a better life, a life in which he possessed bravery and valor. He often found himself daydreaming about what it would be like to challenge Blackbeard to a duel and win. In his mind's eye, he could see himself defeating Blackbeard and taking his precious ship. He could see himself, no longer Deckhand Hook, but Captain Hook, terror of the seas, commanding the _Jolly Roger_ under a firm yet just hand. Sometimes his musings felt more like memories than dreams, but whenever they began to feel too real, he always pushed them aside. He was a deckhand, a slave to the whims of the _Jolly_ 's crew, and he would do well to remember it if he wished to survive.

But none of those thoughts haunted the deckhand on this night, for tonight he was dreaming the sweetest dream that his mind had ever managed to conjure. In his dream, he was in the company of a woman - a beautiful woman with hair like the sun and eyes like emeralds. She was looking at him with a look of adoration and - dare he think it? - pure love upon her face. She whispered his name, his real name: Killian. She said it so softly, her voice filled with as much love and tenderness as her eyes. He smiled up at her, running his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer, meaning to close the distance between them and kiss her. _Swan, my beautiful Swan_ , was the only thought running through his mind as his eyes began to close in anticipation of the kiss.

Just as her lips were about to meet his, he jolted awake, his sky-blue eyes flying open and seeing only the darkness of the room rather than her jade eyes. He took a few deep breaths trying to steady himself, and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. He laid back down and closed his eyes, attempting to gain a few more hours of much-needed sleep. The rest of the crew would not be back until later in the day, but he still needed to awaken early in order to make sure the ship was spotless before his captain's arrival.

And yet, he could not keep his mind from drifting back to the woman in his dream, the woman his dream-self had called Swan. He had the craziest idea that he had seen her somewhere before. But that idea was ridiculous. He would have remembered someone like her.

Eventually, after much tossing and turning, he drifted back to sleep, only to be awoken a few hours later to bright sunlight streaming into the cabin. Realizing he had overslept, he bounded out of the hammock and began to dress quickly. Five minutes later, he was on deck, beginning his chores and praying he would have them completed before Blackbeard and his crew returned.

In his agitated state, he gave no thought to the mysterious Swan woman of his dreams.


	3. Chapter 2

Killian frantically swabbed the deck, looking over his shoulder every other minute, afraid that he would hear the sound of footsteps and see Blackbeard walking toward him. He shuddered, thinking of what had happened the last time that he had failed to finish his duties before the crew returned from a night out. He had been locked alone in the brig for three days, with only a minimal amount of food and water. He had no desire to relive that experience; the memory of it alone made him that much more determined to finish his work.

He was so focused on the task at hand that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone on the _Jolly_ 's deck yell "Ahoy!" For a split second he was afraid that the captain had indeed returned, but quickly realized that the voice was too high-pitched to belong to the fearsome pirate. Standing up and making his way toward the middle of the deck, he saw a young boy - perhaps twelve or thirteen years old - staring straight at him, a glint of relief and - dare he think it? - recognition in his brown eyes.

Looking at the boy, Killian couldn't help but feel that he had seen him somewhere before. As he questioned the lad about his reasons for being aboard the ship, he couldn't keep his thoughts from straying to the woman of his previous night's dream. Why the boy caused him to think of _her_ of all things, he didn't know. But just as he had a strange feeling that he knew the both of them from somewhere, he had an even stranger feeling that they were somehow connected.

The boy - whose name he would learn was Henry - asked him for help in retrieving his mother from a tower in the Bottomless Sea. While his cowardly disposition initially prevented him from even _considering_ the journey, the lad's insistence, as well as the fact that he managed to single-handedly knock the realm's most infamous pirate unconscious, swayed him. That and the hope that perhaps the boy's mother - Emma - just might be the woman from his dream.

Several hours later he found himself sailing the _Jolly Roger_ away from the tower in the Bottomless Sea, having just defeated a dragon ( _a_ dragon, _bloody hell_ ), and in the company of Emma: the most brilliant lass he had ever met and the spitting image of the Swan in his dream. When she had crashed into him inside the tower, he had literally been knocked speechless. She had stared up at him just as she had in his dream, with love and adoration in his eyes. He had barely been able to get a muttered, "Pleasure," out of his lips before she was rushing out of the tower, leaving him feeling more confused than he had ever been before.

After their celebratory toast of goat's milk - which she had seemed equally disgusted and amused by, muttering a faint, "Of course you are," under her breath when he told her of his rum allergy - he found himself wondering why she would trust him of all people with her life.

"It's complicated," she responded, looking him straight in the eye. "Might take a while."

"My schedule's pretty clear," he said, feeling a strange sense of giddiness and hope rising up in his chest.

"Okay." she said grinning. "Well, the most important thing we've gotta do now is help Regina stop that wedding. And in the meantime we should work on your fighting skills. I'm betting that we'll probably need them. Do you think that maybe there's a place where we can lay low and practice during the two weeks until the wedding?"

Killian had no idea who Regina was or why it was so important that they help her stop a wedding. The latter seemed to be the very epitome of bad form. But laying low definitely seemed like a good idea. Especially knowing that Blackbeard had undoubtedly woken up by now, and was undoubtedly searching for the deckhand who had stolen _Jolly Roger_ from right under his nose.

"Aye. I know of a cabin in the forest where it is doubtful anyone would find us. We would have to drop anchor about a day's walk away, but the vegetation there is thick which will hopefully keep us from being discovered."

"Great! Also, do you think that you have any other clothes I could borrow? Even if this dress was in better condition, I don't really think that I'll be able to defend myself very well in it."

"Of course, lass," he replied, "just let me get us set on course. Then I'll let your boy take over for a while so that we can go below deck and find something more suitable for you to wear."

As soon as Killian set the course for the cabin, Emma called for Henry to come out from below deck.

"Now, lad, just keep her steady and in this direction," he instructed. "I'll be right back up to take over as soon as we find your mother something more suitable to wear."

Henry nodded back solemnly. "I won't let you down," he said, his tone serious.

Killian smiled softly at the boy and the look of fierce bravery he wore on his face. "I'm sure you won't lad. Your mother and I will return shortly."

He then turned toward Emma. "If you'll just follow me this way, milady, I think we can probably find something that will be to your liking."

He led her below deck and pointed her in the direction of the crew's quarters, allowing her to go first and following behind her as they walked. He had to resist the sudden urge to guide her along by placing his hand on the small of her back. Why he already felt so comfortable with her, he had no idea. Usually he was a blushing bumbling mess around woman and avoided them like the plague.

Such thoughts were soon dashed from his mind as they reached the crew's quarters and began the difficult task of finding clothing that would fit her. After searching around the cabin for about ten minutes, he was able to find a belt, vest, and pants that belonged to one of the smaller pirates. While he was unsure as to whether they would fit, they were currently the best option that they had. "I'll just give you some privacy to change, lass," he said, nervously scratching behind his ear. "If you need anything, I'll be above deck," he said, turning to leave.

Just as he was about to step away, she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Thank you, Killian," she said offering him a small smile. "I know all of this must seem crazy to you, and I can't thank you enough for your help."

"Of course, lass," he said, smiling back at her, before turning around and heading back above deck.

As he walked, he contemplated the sense of ease he felt around Emma; he had just met her, and yet it felt like he had already known her for years. Was it really possible that he had known her in a past life? Henry's comment about him being a great teacher, as well as Emma's bemusement at his rum allergy, only seemed to cement the idea in his head. But how could he have forgotten them?

Shaking his head, he made himself re-focus on his current goal: getting them to the cabin, to safety. There would be time for questions later.


	4. Chapter 3

A few hours later, they docked the _Jolly Roger_ near the edge of a creek that fed straight into the forest. There was a small inlet surrounded by trees which provided a fair amount of cover, but even so, Killian suggested that they try to find more foliage to cover the ship with in order to better better camouflage it.

As he began to work, Killian couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to Emma who was walking away from the ship in search of more branches. She had looked beautiful in the dress that she had been wearing in the tower, but she somehow seemed even more beautiful in the blue vest and black pants. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, and somehow, even though she was wearing clothes that would customarily be worn by a man, the whole ensemble just seemed more right than the dress. _The only thing missing is her red leather_ , he thought to himself before tensing at the thought. _Where had that idea come from?_

"Hey, are you okay?" Henry asked him, jarring him from his thoughts. He turned around to see the boy looking at him with concern in his eyes. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I'm fine, lad. Just a little jarred by the events of the day."

Henry looked at him, narrowing his eyes like he didn't quite believe him. "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you," he said. "But you can talk to me about it if you want. We're in this together, you know."

Henry turned to leave, but at the last second Killian grabbed him by the arm. "Wait, lad. You're right, something is bothering me. I just…it's just that…I can't remember ever meeting you, either of you, before today. But at the same time, I can't help but feel like I _know_ you."

At these words, Henry's expression morphed into one of pure elation. "This is great! You're starting to remember! Maybe this means that the Author's magic is already starting to weaken!"

"As happy as your enthusiasm makes me, I'm afraid that I still have no idea what you're talking about, Henry."

"That's okay. I can fill you in!"

As they continued to work, Henry told him about about his alternate life, and how it was he, and not Blackbeard, who was the dreaded pirate captain of the _Jolly Roger_. He told him about how he had worked to become a hero, and how Rumplestiltskin and the Author had tried - and evidently succeeded - in creating an alternate reality in which heroes lost and villains won. While some parts of the tale seemed difficult to believe, he couldn't help but believe what Henry was saying. Every once in a while, Emma would walk by and smile knowingly, but never took part in the conversation.

About an hour later, Henry had come to the end of his story and they had finished covering the ship. The only way someone would have been able to spot it was if they already knew it was there.

"That was indeed a thrilling tale, Henry," Killian said as they gathered provisions for their trek below deck. "But there's one thing that you seemed to leave out: my relationship with you and your mother. I suspect we may be close?"

Henry gave him a knowing smirk. "I'll let my mom fill you in on that," he said as he turned and headed up the ladder.


	5. Chapter 4

It was mid-afternoon when they finally began their journey to the cabin. Killian lead the way with Emma and Henry following a few paces behind him. They seemed to be quite engrossed in their own conversation, which made sense, seeing as they had been apart for quite some time. As much as he would have liked to have joined in their discussion, he sensed that they needed this time together after being separated, and he did his best not to eavesdrop.

As he walked his mind mulled over everything that Henry had — and had _not_ — told him, specifically his refusal to comment on his relationship with Emma. He wanted to believe that they were close. The way that she had looked at him when she ran into him — he couldn't get that image out of his head. He was almost certain that in the alternate reality he had cared for her and she had cared for him. But he still had trouble believing that someone as bloody brilliant as she could want him of all people: a lowly, cowardly deckhand.

The setting of the sun broke Killian out of his thoughts, and he suggested that they make camp for the night. Half an hour later they had pitched three makeshift tents and were sitting around a fire, eating the food that they had brought with them. As they ate, Emma explained to him — with interjections from Henry every now and then — about the wedding that they had to stop, and how it would hopefully return things to how they should be. While the idea that preventing a wedding was the solution to their predicament seemed nearly impossible, Killian found that he had no doubt in his mind that Emma would succeed.

The sky continued to darken, and as it did, he could see Henry becoming more and more tired. Despite his optimism, it had been a trying day for the lad, and it was beginning to show. After a string of particularly loud yawns, he bade Killian goodnight and embraced Emma tightly before retiring to his tent, leaving them sitting alone by the fire.

They remained in a comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds being those of the fire's crackling and the occasional hoot of an owl. Emma stared into space, her brow furrowed as if contemplating something, and Killian couldn't keep his eyes off her. The light of the fire reflected off of her blonde hair in the most beautiful way, giving her an almost ethereal glow. If she noticed him staring at her, she didn't comment on it, for which he was grateful.

Eventually his thoughts drifted from Emma to Henry, and the bravery that he had shown that day. Killian had always thought of himself as a coward, and could never have imagined himself displaying Henry's courage, especially at such a young age.

"Henry is a remarkable lad," he said, voicing his admiration out loud and breaking the silence of the night."In all my years aboard Blackbeard's ship, I've never seen anyone stand up to him, let alone be successful in doing so."

His words caused Emma's face to morph into a smile: a real genuine smile that reached all the way up to her eyes.

"Yeah, he is," she replied. "He like to think of me as a Savior of sorts, but he's saved me in more ways than I can count. Even when I was locked up in that tower, I knew that he'd find his way to me. Just like I knew you'd find your way to me."

That caught him by surprise. Emma's comment was the closest anyone had ever come to telling him that they needed — or even _wanted_ — him in a very long time. He scratched nervously behind his ear, not really knowing how to respond.

Emma seemed to sense his confusion, and gave him a kind smile before changing the subject.

"So who's cabin are we going to anyway? Is it yours?"

The question took him aback and he gulped nervously. While he knew that she had been attempting to lighten the mood with her question, it had had the opposite effect. He hadn't talked to anyone about the cabin's owner since, well, _ever_. He didn't have anyone he would have wanted to tell, and even if he did, he certainly didn't have anyone who would have wanted to listen.

Emma must have noticed the uneasiness on his face because her expression changed from one of unadulterated curiosity to one of worry.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said, sounding like Henry had earlier that day. "I was just curious, but if it's too painful — "

"No, no it's not," he said, looking her straight in the eye. When she looked back at him, all he could see was genuine concern written on her features. Even though he had just met her, he felt like he could tell her anything, even one of the most painful stories of his life.

He took a deep breath and began to speak.


	6. Chapter 5

"The cabin," he began, staring at the fire. "It belonged to my brother."

"Liam," she said quietly, a hint of recognition in her voice.

At that his head snapped up, and he stared across the fire and directly into her eyes. "How did you…?"

She stood up and came to sit by him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it softly.

"You love your brother more than anything in the world."

For a moment, he felt hope flare up in his chest. "In your reality, is he…?"

"No, no he's not," she said quickly. "I never got to meet him. But you talk about him a lot. About how much you admire him. About how much you wanted — about how you _still_ want — to make him proud."

He nodded, his hopeful mood deflating, leaving him once again dejected. "I've never looked up to anyone as much as I looked up to him. Although I'm afraid I've probably let him down in the years since he died."

"That's what the other you thought too. And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him: your brother would be proud of you."

"I'm not so sure about that, lass. I don't think he'd be very proud of the coward that I am. For the past ten years I've been a slave to every whim of Blackbeard and his crew. But not because they forced me. It was my choice to become a deckhand on that ship."

"It wasn't a coward that helped me defeat that dragon today."

That surprised him. "Aye, I suppose not."

"You still miss him," she said, her voice full of compassion and understanding.

"Aye, that I do."

"Tell me about him?"

Although he was surprised by her request, once again he found himself feeling like he could tell her anything.

"We grew up alone," he began. "Our mother died when I was just a baby and our father left us when I was about seven. Liam was seventeen. But even before that, our father was never really there for us. Liam could have chosen to leave me like he did— could have taken the coward's way out as he called it. But he took care of me. He found a job as a fisherman. Eventually, he made enough money to buy his own fishing boat, which I joined him on when I was old enough. A few years later, we built the cabin together — he wanted us to have a place of our own. Granted, we weren't able go there very often — most of our nights were spent either on our boat or in port — but it was ours.

"One day, we were planning to go out fishing. There was a storm coming, and I told him it was too dangerous to go. But he was so bloody stubborn, he insisted he would be fine. I let him go without me, and he never came back. Some wreckage from the boat washed ashore the next day, but I was never able to find his body. Him dying…it was the most painful thing I've ever had to go through."

He felt tears begin to burn his eyes, but he wiped them away impatiently with the back of his fist. It had happened ten years ago — he should be over it by now. And there was no way he was going to cry in front of Emma.

"After that, I took the only work I could find: being a deckhand aboard Blackbeard's ship. It was the coward's way out, but it was the only thing I could think to do. And I haven't been back to the cabin since he died. It would've been too painful."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that," she said, once again squeezing his hand.

"Me too. The whole thing, it broke my heart."

She looked at him and gave him a sad smile. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad to hear that," she said.

"You're glad to hear I had my heart broken?" he asked, looking at her in honest confusion.

"Even though your brother died, I'm glad that Rumplestiltskin and the Author weren't able take him away from you," she said. "I'm glad that you got to know him in this life too, even if your memories about him aren't entirely correct."

"What was he like in the world where you were from?"

"Let's get this mess fixed up. Then I won't have to tell you. You'll remember for yourself. And your real memories will be so much better than any story I could tell you."

"And now you should probably get to bed," she said, abruptly changing the subject. "I'll take first watch and wake you in a couple of hours."

He nodded in agreement. "Aye, you're probably right. I'll see you tomorrow morning milady," he said as he stood up and headed for his tent. Before he entered it, he turned around and looked at her again.

"Thank you, Emma," he said. "I haven't been able to tell anyone else about Liam before. Even though it was hard…I'm glad I told you."

"You're welcome, Killian. Now get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us."


	7. Chapter 6

Emma awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the hum of two familiar voices. For a moment she was afraid that she was in the middle of a dream, and that as soon as she opened her eyes she would be back in her lonely prison with only the sound of the waves lapping against the stones of the tower to keep her company. But as the fog of sleep left her mind, she began to recall the previous day's events and a huge smile covered her face. They had found her. Her boys had found her. And now they were going to find a way to get home. _Together_.

She sat up and stretched, then exited the tent. She was greeted by the sight of Henry and Killian sitting around a fire, preparing breakfast and chatting idly about ships. Emma smiled to herself. Even in this false reality, it seemed like they were getting along just as easily as they had in the real world.

The relationship between Killian and her son was not the only thing that the Author had been unable to change. Even though this version of Killian was softer, — and had lost his affinity for rum, she would never be able to get over that — she could tell that he was still the same amazing person that he had always been. She hand't been lying when she said his actions had been brave; he had displayed the same courage against Lily that he had shown against every other adversary he had faced.

Henry was the first to notice her. "Hey, Mom!" he exclaimed happily. "Killian and I were just making breakfast," he said rushing up to her and handing her a wooden bowl with some food in it.

"Thanks, Henry," she said taking the bowl in one hand and using her other to affectionately ruffle his hair. He rolled his eyes at the gesture, but allowed her to pull him into a hug, showing that even though for him they had been apart for only a few days, he had missed her just as much as she had missed him.

"Good morning, Emma," Killian said quietly as she and Henry sat back down. She smiled back at him, which caused him to blush and suddenly become very interested in a stick on the ground, which he picked up and started using to prod the fire. Emma stifled a giggle as she turned her attention to her breakfast. Once they returned to Storybrooke, she was going to have fun teasing her pirate.

As soon as they finished breakfast, they packed everything up and prepared to walk the rest of the way to the cabin. Just as they were about to leave, Henry spoke up.

"Hey, Mom, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"

"Sure, kid. Killian, just give us a minute," she said over her shoulder as she and Henry walked a few feet away.

"What's up?" Emma asked as soon as they were out of Killian's earshot.

"You have to kiss him!" Henry said, managing to infuse his statement with his usual enthusiasm despite being unable to speak above a whisper. "Then he'll remember everything, like how to fight, and we'll have a much easier time sorting this whole mess out!"

That took her by surprise. She had thought about kissing, Killian, sure. She had only been able to restrain herself because was she was afraid that the poor man might actually have a heart attack if she did anything more than tap him on the shoulder. But she had never contemplated kissing him in order to restore his memories. They would have to be True Love in order to do that. And they weren't True Love. Were they?

"Henry, I don't know. We're not Mary Margaret and David. We —"

"Come on, Mom!" Henry said cutting her off. "Anyone with eyes can see that you guys love each other!"

"Henry, I really don't know. I care about Killian a lot, you know I do. But I don't know if we're True Love."

Henry looked up at her and sighed."You didn't believe you could be the Savior when you first came to Storybrooke, either," he said. "And I know you don't believe now, but that's okay. You'll get there eventually, just like you did when you broke the first curse."

And with that he turned on his heel and walked off to join Killian, leaving Emma with a slightly dumbfounded look upon her face.

As they began their second journey through the forest, it was Henry and Killian who struck up a conversation, leaving Emma to her own thoughts. Now that Henry had brought the idea up, she couldn't stop thinking about whether she would be able to restore Killian's memories with True Love's Kiss. She knew that Killian loved her. She had known for a long time. And even though a year ago the little lost girl in her might have doubted whether any man could love her, she knew it was true. He loved her and he was never going to leave her. But did she love him?

She knew that she had never felt this way about anyone before. She had been able to get over the pain that had coming with losing Neal and Graham, she had been able to move on. But Killian…she couldn't imagine living in a world without him. And that was when it struck her. She could clearly see that yes, she, Emma Swan, truly loved Killian Jones.

But coming to the realization that you loved someone in your own mind and actually confronting those feelings in real life were two entirely different things. And if she was successful in bringing the old Killian back with a kiss, he would know exactly what that kiss meant. That would make everything real, would make everything change. And Emma wasn't sure if she was ready for things to change.

She had a decision ahead of her. One that was going to be extremely difficult to make.


	8. Chapter 7

They reached the cabin around noon. When they arrived, Emma noticed Killian let out a large breath, as though relieved to find it still standing. Some thick bushes had begun to grow around it, but otherwise it seemed to be in very good shape. It reminded her very much of the cabin in Storybrooke where she had had to stop Gold from murdering Belle's father. Emma shuddered at the thought. Hopefully the memories made in this cabin would be much happier.

When they entered the cabin, Emma found that it was a one-room building with very sparse furnishings. There was a fireplace in the back wall, with two beds on either side of it. A table and two chairs sat in the middle of the room, and there was a rocking chair in the corner. Although it looked like it had the potential to be a very comfortable home, everything was covered in a thick sheet of dust, making it look much less appealing. Killian let out a loud sneeze, then scratched nervously behind his ear.

"I'm afraid that I did not give any thought to what the state of this cabin would be when I suggested that we travel here. I suppose that the ten years since I was here last have not been kind to it. My apologies."

"It's alright, Killian," Emma said looking around the cabin. It was fairly dirty, that was true. The dust was pretty bad, and she was just beginning to notice some cobwebs in the corners.

"We can continue to sleep outside if you wish, but we would have to continue taking watches throughout the night to make sure that no woodland creatures try to harm us."

The word _watch_ triggered something in Emma's brain. She suddenly felt like she had forgotten something, but she shook it off. It probably wasn't important.

"I don't mind sleeping outside but I think it were be better for all of us if we sleep in here. What do you say, Henry? Think we can help Killian clean this place up?"

"Sure!" Henry says with genuine enthusiasm, causing Emma to roll her eyes. If only he got that excited about cleaning his own room, which (even on its worst days) was much cleaner than this.

"Well then, it's settled," Killian said, a smile creeping onto his face. "Henry, I believe there should be a broom and some feather dusters and other such things in that back closet over there," he said pointing to the corner. Henry nodded and ran over to get them.

"Any chance you could summon some woodland creatures to help us?" Emma asked Killian, grinning.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face, before replying, "Um…no?"

It was then that she remembered that this version of Killian hadn't seen _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_. He didn't remember how he had relentlessly teased her mother for hours on end about how her movie counterpart had used "bloody _bluebirds_ " in order to clean the dwarves' cottage.

"Never mind," she said. "I'll explain it to you later." _When we get home_ , she added in her mind.

As soon as the found that the cleaning supplies were indeed there, they set to work. As they dusted, swept, and mopped, Emma couldn't help but notice how _normal_ this felt despite the fact that everything else was messed up. They were cleaning and straightening up the cabin together, like a family. A real family. Even though it was a world away, she could see them doing this together in Storybrooke, in their own place. The thought made her heart ache.

It a long while to clean the cabin, but by dusk it was was possible to be inside for more than five minutes without sneezing. It was then that Killian commented that they needed some firewood for the fireplace, which led to Killian chopping wood outside as Henry and Emma looked on.

As he worked, Emma couldn't help but notice how strong he was. He had somehow managed to balance the axe using his hook, and was using both arms to chop the wood. Despite the difficulty of the task, his arms never wavered; it was only the sweat on his brow and the flush on his cheeks that betrayed the fact that it was tiring work.

Finally, he finished and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his arm. "I think that that should be enough for now," he said. "If you could both help me carry this back to the cabin, I would appreciate it."

"Sure thing," she said, and they all began to gather the wood. She and Killian stopped once they had a few pieces in their arms. Henry, on the other hand, attempted to pick up the remaining pieces of wood singlehandedly, clearly determined to carry the rest of the kindling in at one time.

"Henry, you're not going to be able to carry all of that," Emma said, trying to mask her amusement.

"I can get it," he said just as all of the wood fell to the ground. When Emma laughed (she knew that she could be stubborn, but Henry was ten times worse than her sometimes), he glared at her and began picking them up again.

"Come on," she said to Killian. "He's gonna be a while."

They walked back to the cabin, and set the wood down near the fireplace. It was then that she noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes, and that he looked particularly tired. Sure, they had had a busy day, but he looked as though he was going to pass out from exhaustion at any moment. Suddenly she realized why Killian's comment about watching the camp had caused her to feel like she was forgetting something.

"Killian did you stay up all night last night?"

"Aye."

"Why didn't you wake me up? I was supposed to take second watch and let you get some sleep!"

"Aye. But when I went into your tent to wake you, you seemed so peaceful. Besides, a pirate's life isn't the most restful; there's been many a time when I've had to stay awake all night for some reason or another."

For a brief moment, Emma didn't quite know what to say. Even though this version of Killian had just met her, he was a already putting her needs above his own. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and her body swayed unconsciously toward him. She saw his eyes flick to her lips, and then back up to meet her own. _He's going to kiss me, he's going to kiss me!_ her mind screamed at her.

The sound of the cabin's door being kicked startled both of them and they jumped away from each other.

"That'll be Henry," Killian said, a blush covering his neck and cheeks as he stared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied as she turned around to walk across the room. She opened the door to find Henry standing there, his arms filled with firewood that was just about to topple over. As she held the door open for him, she thought about what had just happened. Really, she should be relieved that he hadn't kissed her. That meant she had a little while longer to figure out her feelings.

So why was she feeling nothing but disappointment?


	9. Chapter 8

Henry Mills was a perceptive kid. And he was especially perceptive when it came to the feelings of a certain blonde-haired Savior. At the mere age of ten he had been able to figure out exactly what he needed to do in order to get her to overcome her fear and disbelief and break the first Curse. Sure, he had almost died in the process, but it had worked.

When he had told Emma that she should bring the real Hook back, the fact that he was a valuable fighter had only been one of the reasons. The other (and much more important reason) was that he could tell that his mom missed Killian, the real Killian. He also knew that once the old Killian was back he would say and do whatever it took to help Emma believe in herself, as he always did. He knew that his mom didn't need any help sorting this mess out (he was sure that she would have found her way out of that tower without his help eventually), but that didn't mean that she had to do it all on her own. She deserved to have as much support as she could get, and that meant finding a way to wake Killian up.

He had thought that refusing to answer Killian's question about his relationship with Emma would pique the pirate's curiosity and lead to him confronting Emma, which would then lead to Emma confessing her feelings, which would then lead to True Love's Kiss. And while he was certain that the old Killian would have wasted no time in asking Emma what he meant to her, it was readily apparent that this alternate version was much, much less confident. He needed to give him a push.

Henry decided that he would try talking to Killian alone, but the tricky thing was actually getting him alone. The cabin was small, and that meant having almost no privacy whatsoever. They all slept in the same room (he and Emma in the beds, and Killian on the floor because it was _bad form_ to deny a lady and her son a bed), they all ate together, they did _everything_ together. Although he found it frustrating some of the time, he couldn't help but admit to himself that he liked the feeling of togetherness. It felt like they were a family, a real family. If he closed his eyes for a moment, he could imagine that they were back in Storybrooke, out on a camping trip, which was something that normal families did. But they weren't a normal family and they weren't in Storybrooke, which was why he had to get Emma to wake Killian up as soon as possible.

He found the perfect opportunity one day when Emma commented that their rations were getting low, and Killian volunteered to go out and set up some snares to catch some game. Recognizing his chance, Henry immediately asked to go with him. Half an hour later, they were outside, and Killian was showing him how to set up a snare. He was a good teacher, correcting Henry's mistakes patiently and praising him when he got something right. By the time they were finished, Henry was able to successfully set up a snare on his own. Their afternoon reminded him of his sailing lessons in Storybrooke, making him miss the old Killian more than ever.

"Thank you for your help, Henry," Killian said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "It's been a while since I've done this, and I've never had to do it with one hand. before. So thank you, lad."

"No problem," he said. Then, gathering his courage, he asked, "So…have you had a chance to ask my mom about your past self?"

Killian's face fell. "Erm…no. I haven't."

"Why not? Don't you want to know?"

"Of course. But it just seems like if Emma doesn't want to talk about it, then I shouldn't bring it up. Bad form and all."

Henry rolled his eyes. Sometimes the pirate's idea of _good and bad form_ got really annoying. "Fine," he said. "If you won't ask yourself, I'll tell you. In our reality you guys love each other. I don't think you guys have told each other yet, but you gave up your ship for her and she gave up her magic for you."

Killian looked dumbstruck, but a second later, a look of hope crept upon his face. That look gave Henry the courage to continue.

"So I know you guys love each other. So you have to kiss her!"

"Why…?"

"True Love's Kiss can break any curse. And you need to remember so that you can help her!"

Killian was silent for a moment, before looking into his eyes. "Alright lad. If it's that important to you I will ask her," he said sincerely.

Two days went by, but Killian obviously hadn't said anything to Emma. Although he had been almost positive that the pirate would make good on his word, he had obviously been wrong. Which meant it was time to change tactics and talk to Emma.

As soon as he brought up the word kiss she cut him off. She said that that wasn't what they should be focusing on right now. They should be planning how they were going to stop the wedding or doing something else more worth while. She came up with a million other excuses before saying that she had to go do something. After she left, Henry stood there, feeling more dejected than he had his since his arrival here. He needed to help his mother and he had no idea how.

It was about a week after they got to the cabin that Emma brought up the sword-fighting lessons again. Although Killian initially appeared mortified by the idea, he agreed that it was indeed time to try. Emma picked out two of the swords that they had brought with them from the ship, and handed one to Killian. He grabbed it in his hand before turning around and heading out the door.

On her way out, Emma asked Henry if he wanted to come too, but he shook his head. She looked at him worriedly for a moment, but once he assured her that he was fine and just wanted some time to himself, she smiled softly at him and exited the cabin behind Killian.

Henry sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. He had no idea how to make them kiss each other. Killian was too afraid and his mom was too stubborn. He was worried that the only way to get them to kiss was for one of them to be put in mortal danger, which was something he decidedly didn't want.

He was just about to go out and join them when Emma rushed into the cabin with a worried look on her face.

"Henry! I need you to get in the closet right now and don't leave it until I come to get you!"

"Why, what's wrong?" he asked, taken aback by the look of panic on her face.

"Blackbeard found us! I don't know how but he found us. We heard him coming through the woods. He's going to get here any minute. I need to go help Killian, but I need you to please stay here!"

He was about to argue, but the look of pure unadulterated fear in her eyes stopped him. He nodded before giving her a hug and retreating into the closet, closing the door behind him. He heard the slam of the door a second later, and knew that Emma had left once again.

It had been about half an hour when he started to worry. He shouldn't be in here hiding; that's not what heroes did! He should be out there helping them! He burst out of the closet, grabbed a sword, and left the cabin hurriedly. He ran through the woods, towards the clearing where he knew they had been practicing. As he ran, morose thoughts flew through his head, including a vision of himself arriving at the clearing only to find his mother and her pirate dead.

When he arrived at the clearing he realized that he needn't have worried. His eyes were greeted with the sight of Emma and Killian passionately kissing one another. The pirate had obviously remembered who he was. They didn't notice his arrival, however, too wrapped up in each other to be able to hear the sound of his footsteps. He cleared his throat loudly. When he didn't get a response, he yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Okay, you guys can stop now! I'm happy for you and all, but there's only so much a kid can stand to see."

They jumped apart and stared at him, both looking sheepish with deep red blushes covering their faces.

Killian was the first to break the awkward silence. "Sorry about that, lad. That was bad form indeed. But you did want my memories restored, aye?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and giving him a nervous smile.

Henry rolled his eyes. "Well, duh! It took you guys long enough."

They both laughed at that, causing Henry to roll his eyes again, but he smiled all the same. He ran forward and enveloped Emma in a hug, before turning around and hugging Killian just as tightly. "I'm glad you're back," he said sincerely.

"Aye, lad," Killian said, his eyes soft and full of emotion. "Me too."


	10. Chapter 9

Emma had no idea what to do. She wanted Hook back so badly it hurt. She wanted him back not just for his fighting prowess (although that was part of the reason), but because she missed him. She wanted to be able to hug him when she was feeling afraid, and she wanted him to kiss her on the cheek when she needed assurance. Besides that, Henry clearly wanted the pirate back just as much as she did. He had made that exceedingly clear when he once again confronted her about waking Killian. As much as she wanted to tell him that she would (and she did want to, she wanted to so much), she was still too afraid.

It was about a week after they arrived at the cabin that she decided that if she wasn't going to bring the real Killian back then she needed to begin teaching this Killian how to wield a sword. Although she was not an expert by any means, she knew that Killian had been. She had no doubt in her mind that once he _really got into it_ his body would remember what to do.

She finally got the nerve to bring up the lessons one afternoon when they were lounging about idly in the cabin. As soon as the words left her mouth, Killian stared back at her with a look of uncertainty on his face. However, a second later he schooled his features and agreed that it was indeed time for him to learn.

Ten minutes later she and Killian stood facing each other in the middle of a small clearing a little ways from the cabin, each of them with a sword at their hip. Emma was internally debating how she was going to go about teaching him when Killian spoke up.

"You're telling me," he asked tentatively, "that in this other reality, I'm…an expert with such a weapon?"

"You're a regular Jack Sparrow," she replied grinning, amused by the irony of his question.

"Is that good?" he asked, his voice rising with uncertainty.

She bit back a chuckle at his confusion as she stepped towards him. "Here," she said kindly, "let me show you how to use it."

He made a gesture as if to argue, but she ignored it and came to stand directly behind him. Gently, she grabbed his hand with hers, and guided it down to draw his sword from its sheath. She began guiding his arm through the (admittedly limited) moves she knew, speaking to him as she did so.

"They say that once you become an expert," she began, "your subconscious takes over. Back in my world that's what we call muscle memory," she said, returning the sword to its place.

At that, he looked over shoulder and straight into her eyes.

"Tell me more about this reality you want to return to," he pleaded. "Us, for example. I sense that we, ah, we may be close?"

"Very."

At that, his eyebrows shot up and he cocked his head to the side, obviously shocked that he was correct in his assumptions about their relationship. "Really? Well, I'm starting to get jealous of the other me," he said laughing nervously as she stepped away.

Emma was about to make some kind of reply when the sound of a pistol shot made them both jump. "What was that?" Emma asked as Killian pulled his spyglass from his belt and looked through it. A moment later, he lowered it, his eyes filling with fear.

"Blackbeard," he said, his voice trembling. "He found us."

"How?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch.

"I don't know. But that's not what matters right now. I know that they must have set that pistol off by accident, but it's a blessing that they did. You need to get back to Henry and hide. "

"What about you?"

Killian gulped nervously. "I have a plan," he said. "Now go, save your boy."

Emma took off towards the cabin at top speed. Although she agreed with Killian that Henry needed to stay hidden, he was crazy if he thought that she wasn't going to fight. When she arrived at the cabin, she stayed just long enough to ensure that Henry was safely in the closet before she rushed back to the clearing.

When she arrived back, Killian looked at her incredulously. "I thought I told you to stay hidden!" he exclaimed, a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

"I'm not letting you face this alone!" she said firmly, raising her eyebrow in challenge.

He groaned loudly and came to stand directly in front of her. In that moment, Emma was thoroughly reminded of the old Killian, and how he seemed to have no qualms about getting physically close to her. "I told you to hide because even if my plan fails, Blackbeard doesn't know your here," he yelled. "And if he doesn't know you're here, you and Henry can still escape even if I fail. Now get back to the cabin before…"

"Too late!" came a voice from amongst the trees. A moment later, a pirate in a red jacket and large hat, whom Emma could only assume was Blackbeard, stepped into the clearing, flanked by ten other pirates.

"You should have known better than to hide and steal from me, Hook," Blackbeard drawled lazily as he leisurely sauntered towards them. "You couldn't possibly have been stupid enough to think that I wouldn't be able to find you. Although I suppose you were because here we are," he said gesturing around them. "It's of no matter, now, I suppose," Blackbeard continued, chuckling softly. "I have my ship back now as well as a wench to go with it," he said nodding his head towards Emma.

At that, Killian's jaw clenched and he balled his hand into a fist. Although he still looked terrified, — his face was white as a sheet and sweat was beginning to form on his brow — Emma was sure that had Blackbeard been close enough, Killian would have punched him in the face. "Don't call her that!" Killian spat, his voice dripping with venom.

At first Blackbeard looked taken aback by the outburst, but then burst into laughter. "Look at this deckhand, boys," he said, addressing his crew. "He actually thinks that he can order me, his captain, about!" he exclaimed, continuing to laugh. "The time for pretending is done Hook," he said once he regained his composure."Seize them!"

"Wait!" Hook yelled desperately, which caused the pirates to pause their advance. "I propose a duel. I challenge you for possession of the _Jolly Roger_."

Blackbeard looked at Killian like he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. "You wish to challenge me to a duel?" he asked, his voice filled with incredulousness.

"Aye," Killian replied, looking Blackbeard square in the eye.

Blackbeard stood there for a moment, clearly mulling Killian's proposition over. A second later he began to speak. "Alright, we will duel. If you win, the _Jolly_ is yours, and you have my word that my crew and I will not harm you or your wench. But if you lose, and you _will_ lose, I will enjoy gifting you with a slow and painful death; you'll be example to anyone else who is foolish enough to think that they can steal from me.

"How do we know you'll keep your word?" Emma said, speaking up for the first time since Blackbeard had stepped into the clearing. "What's to keep you from just taking the ship when Killian beats you?"

"The _Jolly Roger_ is made from Enchanted Wood," Blackbeard said, regarding her with a mix of interest and contempt. "And like all magic it comes with a price. If this deckhand can indeed beat me in a duel, I, as well as anyone who recognizes me as their captain will be unable to sail the ship. Fortunately for me, there is not a man in this realm who is a better swordsman than me, least of all this one-handed coward," he said, pointing at Killian. "Now," he said, his voice becoming louder and more angry, "shall we quit wasting time and begin?"

"Killian, you don't have to do this," Emma said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "I can fight him, I…"

"No," he said emphatically. "You have your boy. If I fail, you and he can still get away." And with that, he drew his sword and strode towards Blackbeard.

The two pirates stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by Emma and Blackbeard's crew. "Last chance to back out, Hook," Blackbeard said. "Maybe if you surrender now I'll change my mind and give you a quick death."

Although Killian still looked utterly terrified at what he was about to attempt, he looked Blackbeard straight in the eye, and uttered a single word: "Never!"

With that, Blackbeard lunged forward, his sword glinting in the sunlight as it slashed through the air. Killian barely managed to block it as a terrified huff escaped from his lips and his face contorted in fear. Blackbeard smirked at Hook's evident lack of confidence and lunged forward again. Once again, Killian parried the blow, this time with slightly more finesse.

The pirates continued their fight, and soon the sound of clanging metal replaced the silence of the forest. The swords flashed through the air, their speed increasing with every thrust and jab. As they continued to fight, Emma began to notice that Killian was gaining more and more confidence. It didn't take long for the cowardly deckhand to be replaced with Captain Hook, swordsman extraordinaire. It appeared that Killian's muscle memory was indeed taking over.

Emma was not the only one to notice Hook's improvement. With every move that Hook blocked, Blackbeard seemed to get more and more frustrated, and more and more distressed. Eventually, the look of easy confidence on his face was replaced with one of confusion and panic.

As time wore on, Emma could clearly see that Blackbeard was becoming fatigued, and that his technique was becoming sloppy. Killian, on the other hand, only seemed to be getting stronger. Eventually, he was able to maneuver his sword so that Blackbeard's weapon was knocked from his wrist. Killian then raised his leg, and kicked Blackbeard to the ground. He kicked his opponent's sword away, before pointing his own straight at Blackbeard's throat.

"It appears that I have won," Killian said, the surprise evident in his voice. However, it was quickly replaced with more venom than Emma had ever heard him use in this reality. "The _Jolly Roger_ is now mine. Take your crew and get out of my sight." Blackbeard stared up at Killian, his face filled with unadulterated hatred. As he got to his feet, Emma was afraid that perhaps he might go back on his word and order his crew to attack and kill them. However, the former captain of the Jolly Roger simply turned on his heel and walked back in the direction from which he had come, gesturing for his crew to follow suit.

As soon as Blackbeard disappeared from view, Emma realized that she was panting heavily. She hadn't seen Killian speak like that in forever, not since he had stabbed Gold in New York. But as he turned to face her, his eyes became void of all anger. Instead, they held a look of determination…and something else to which she couldn't quite give a name.

Then, dropping his sword, he strode toward her, his gait full of purpose. He came to stand right in front of her. After a second's hesitation he brought his right hand to her cheek, cupping it gently, before lunging forward and kissing her passionately.

A second later a pulse of light emanated out from where they were standing. Killian pulled back and stared at her for a moment, recognition flooding into his eyes. "Swan," he sighed, his voice full of relief and full of…love.

"Emma," he continued breathlessly, "that kiss, does it mean…?"

"Shhh," she said, covering his lips with two of her fingers. "We'll talk about it later."

A look of confusion passed over his face, immediately followed by one of understanding. "Aye, love," he said resting his forehead against hers. "Of course."

A huge wave of affection for the man before her washed over her. He knew she loved him, but he also knew that she need the time to say it. Overcome with emotion, she pulled him toward her, and his lips met hers once again.

They were interrupted only a few moments later by Henry's indignant voice. "Okay, you guys can stop now! I'm happy for you and all, but there's only so much a kid can stand to see."

Although he put on a disgruntled facade, Emma could tell that Henry was just as happy to have Killian back as she was. Her suspicion was confirmed when, immediately after hugging her, Henry turned around to embrace Killian. The pirate looked taken aback, but reciprocated enthusiastically. The scene before her warmed her heart, and she couldn't help but smile.

She finally had her pirate back. Now it was time to get everyone else back.


	11. Chapter 10

It was a jarring feeling, having the memories of a completely different (three hundred years long) life returning to his mind in the span of just a few moments. It was even more strange to have such conflicting personalities, the Deckhand and the Pirate, at war with each other inside of his head. He had a brand new sense of empathy for all those who had been subjected to the Queen's original Curse. Having to sift through two different sets of memories had already become exhausting, even after just a few hours. Perhaps that was why Dave could be so surly at times.

Speaking of David, he hoped he never found out about his Deckhand self. He'd never hear the end of it.

Not that Swan or Henry were letting him off easy. As soon as they had expressed how relieved they were to have him back, they wasted no time in teasing him about his alternate personality.

"Goats milk!" Emma laughed as they all walked back to the cabin together, one of her hands in his and her other arm slung around Henry's shoulder. "You were carrying goat's milk around in a flask! How does that even make any sense?" she asked as Henry snickered.

He didn't reply, just simply grinned back. He couldn't find it in himself to be even the slightest bit annoyed by their jokes. Just looking at them, seeing them both so _happy_ to have him back, well. It made him the happiest man in all the realms.

That and the fact that he and Emma had shared True Love's Kiss. He knew how he had felt for some time, but having the concrete confirmation that she felt the same only added to his happiness. Ever since his failed attempt at a True Love's Kiss in New York, he couldn't help doubting himself, despite later learning that such a Kiss couldn't break a curse when your True Love couldn't remember you. However, their Kiss that afternoon had put all his doubts to rest and left him with a feeling of content peace.

He knew that although Emma loved him, she wasn't quite ready to admit her feelings out loud yet. At first, he had been confused as to why she didn't want to say the words, why — when the proof was staring her straight in the face — she didn't want to face her feelings head on. Then he realized: saying it out loud would make it real, and every time someone's love for her had been real (or felt real, in that Monkey's case) she had lost them. So he contentedly resolved to wait until she was ready to tell him. He was a patient man after all.

When they arrived back at the cabin, they quickly began making plans for (what would hopefully be) the remainder of their time in this version of the Enchanted Forest. They decided that they would leave for the Jolly Roger first thing in the morning, which would hopefully allow them to reach the ship by nightfall. It then be another day's trip back to the port where Henry had first found Killian, which would give them three full days to find Regina and convince her to help them before they had to stop the wedding.

They all retired fairly early that night, but Killian couldn't sleep. He had no doubt in his mind that Emma would succeed in setting everything right. After all, he had yet to see her fail. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Shaking his head he rolled over and closed his eyes. Soon enough, the steady breaths of Emma and Henry lulled him to sleep.

-/-

Their trek through the woods the next day was uneventful. As they walked, the conversation flowed easily, especially now that he had his memories back. He told Emma and Henry stories about his time as a pirate (the Captain not the Deckhand), and later listened to their complaints about the modern technologies that they missed. Despite the gravity of the situation, and the nature of their mission, he couldn't help enjoying himself.

They reached the Jolly Roger just before dark, and quickly set to work removing all the brush that they had used to camouflage the ship. After that, they ate a quick dinner before getting ready for bed. Killian suggested that Henry sleep in the first mate's quarters, to which Henry readily agreed. After saying goodnight, he then led Emma to the captain's quarters and bade her goodnight before retiring to his hammock.

He was woken a few hours later by the sound of creaking floorboards. His eyes blinked open to see Emma walking quietly towards him. When she noticed that he was awake she paused.

"Are you alright, Emma? Is Henry alright?" he asked, his voice growing gradually more panicked.

"No, no, Henry's fine. I…I just…," she stuttered, and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "I just didn't want to be alone tonight," she said looking at the floor.

He smiled kindly at her. His Swan rarely showed any kind of vulnerability, even at times like this when she had every reason to do so. "Would you like me to accompany you back to my quarters?" he asked softly.

She met his eyes and nodded silently. He quickly stood up and took her by the hand before leading her back to his bed. She laid down first and he scooted in after her, pulling her close to him and hooking his arm around her waist. It then hit him that this was the first time that they had slept together, in any capacity. If it had been any other time, he would have made some flirtatious quip about her inviting him into her bed. But he could tell that wasn't what she needed right now. Right now she just needed someone to comfort her and let her know that things were going to be okay — which he knew was something that she hand't had for most of her life.

With the love of his life in his arms, it only took him a few minutes to fall asleep. He awoke at dawn, as he always did, to find Emma still sleeping soundly. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he gently removed himself from the bed and left the room, getting ready to start the day.

-/-

They sailed throughout the rest of the day and reached the docks just as the sun was setting. After much discussion, Killian and Emma decided that it would be best to spend another night aboard the ship and begin looking for Regina the next morning. Once again, Emma came to him in the middle of the night, and he stayed with her until the dawn came.

Later on that morning, when they finally exited the ship, Henry ran off ahead of them, hoping to find a shop where they could buy something to eat. Killian and Emma walked slowly behind him, holding hands. However, they were soon broken out of their comfortable silence by the yelling of a familiar voice.

"There they are! It's as I told you, my queen. The one-handed pirate was helping them. And the boy was with them as well," Lily said as she rounded a shop corner, followed by several black knights and…Snow and Charming.

But they were nothing like the Snow and Charming that Killian remembered. Snow, who normally wore soft colors and very little makeup, was dressed more elaborately than he had ever seen her. She was wearing a striking red dress, and her short hair had been teased to stand almost straight up. She wore heavy jewelry and her eyes were surrounded by dark makeup.

Charming looked very different as well. His clothing was all black, and he was sporting a large, thick cape. But the thing that surprised Killian the most were his eyes, which were heavily outlined in kohl. Had they been back home in Storybrooke, Killian would surely have made some comment about imitation being the highest form of flattery (when they got out of this, he still might). Deckhand Killian had known about the Evil Queen Snow White and her evil servant Charming, but seeing them up close only made the reality of their situation that much more…real.

While these thoughts were roaring around Killian's head, Emma was desperately trying to convince her parents to do the right thing, to become the heroes they once were. And for a brief moment it looked like she was going to succeed.

"You're right. Emma. Hope is a very powerful thing," Snow whispered, her expression softening into what looked like recognition. But a second later it hardened again. "Which is why I'm going to have to snuff it out of you and that awful son of yours," she continued. She then turned towards the guards and commanded them to kill.

The guards were just beginning to advance when Charming noticed something behind Emma and Killian. "Wait! There he is!"

Killian and Emma turned around to see Henry walking around the corner, carrying food in his arms. When he noticed them he stopped in his tracks and stared at them like a deer caught in headlights.

"My, my. I am going to enjoy watching him die in front of his mother," Snow drawled, gesturing for Charming to attack.

Although he was a skilled swordsman, Killian knew that there was no way he could take out that many guards at one time. He noticed a wooden structure covered with large bags next to them. Thinking quickly, he knocked it to the ground, which took out Lily and the rest of the guards, sending them crashing to the ground. Only Charming was left standing, but he was desperately trying to to get around the bags on the floor. Realizing that he had bought them very little time, Killian spun around to face Emma.

"Swan, you have to go."

"No, Killian," Emma said, her green eyes widening in shock and fear. "I'm not leaving you behind."

He inwardly cursed her desire to save people. He knew that she was the Savior, and it was something he loved about her, but this was one time when he wished she would be selfish. "These people are not your parents Swan. They're never going to stop chasing you. I can hold them off, give you and Henry time to escape."

"Killian, if what you're saying is true, then there's only one way this ends," she said, looking at him sadly. "You or him."

At that he swallowed thickly. "If I can help return things to how they're meant to be, then what happens to me here won't matter will it? Now run. Don't turn around until you're sure that you and ou — your boy are safe."

She looked at him uneasily and nodded before grabbing him by shirt, pulling him to her, and kissing him hard. After letting go she ran toward Henry and disappeared around the corner. As soon as they was out of sight, Killian turned around and, taking a deep breath, walked toward David…toward his death.


	12. Chapter 11

Emma grabbed Henry's hand and pulled him around the corner telling him to run. They hadn't been going for thirty seconds before Henry stopped. "Wait!" he cried, his voice filled with panic. Where's Killian?"

"Henry! Come on we have to go," she said, trying with every ounce of her being to keep from breaking down.

"Mom we have to go back. We can't leave him!" he said desperately.

His tone was almost enough to make her lose it right then and there. After taking a small, almost imperceptible breath she began to speak, hoping that her voice would stay steady. "He's going to fend off David and meet us later," she said.

"But…"

"Henry, he's going to be fine!" she said, more for herself than for him. She knew she needed to get them moving soon. If they stayed around too long they were sure to be captured. Besides that, she knew if she kept talking that she would break down and Henry would figure out what was going on. And if he knew that she was leaving Killian behind it would be impossible to make him keep going. Never mind the fact that the only reason she was doing it was to protect him. Henry would probably turn around and run straight back toward the docks. She had never in her life wished that Henry hadn't inherited her stubbornness more than she did in that moment.

"Henry, you know he's going to be just fine," she said, surprised (and yet relieved) at how calm she sounded. "I know that David is good with a sword but Killian has about a million year's more experience than him," she said, managing to crack a small smile. The fact that she was able to do so almost made her sick, but she couldn't dwell on that right now.

Henry looked at her dubiously for moment, but a second later the doubt left his eyes and he nodded. "Where are we meeting him?" he asked.

"At Regina's," Emma lied smoothly. "He said that from your description he knew how to get there. But we need to go. Now!"

They took of running again, Henry leading the way. As they ran, Emma fought to keep the lump in her throat from turning into full-fledged sobs. Once they found Regina, she'd leave Henry with her and find somewhere to have a good long cry before going to stop that wedding and get her pirate back.

They had just exited the port town and were nearing the edge of the forest when Emma collapsed, a pain unlike anything she had ever felt before enveloping her body. It began right at her heart and spread throughout the rest of her body. She clutched her hand to her chest, shaking softly as the pain dissipated. When she came back to her senses, she could feel Henry shaking her, pleading with her to get up. She didn't need to have read Henry's Storybook to know what this kind of pain meant.

"Killian," she said when Henry asked her if she was alright. "He's gone."

-/-

The rest of the walk to Regina's was one of the most difficult things that Emma had ever had to endure. She couldn't keep herself from replaying that final moment with him in her head. She shouldn't have left him there alone. She should have fought. Sure, she didn't have magic in this reality, but surely together they could have figured out a way to escape her parents that didn't involve anyone dying. But then she looked at her son and knew that she had made the right choice. She never would have been able to forgive herself if something happened to Henry. And she knew that Killian would never have been able to forgive himself either.

Speaking of Henry, she could tell that even though he was trying to be brave, he was feeling just as horrible as she was. His lips were pressed in a tight line and there were unshed tears in his eyes. If she hadn't been determined to get her pirate back before seeing how dejected her son was, she sure was now.

-/-

Regina didn't give them a warm welcome when they arrived. She had maintained her sarcastic snark, and wasted no time in declaring that she and Henry must be insane. Really, it shouldn't have surprised her. Considering all the bad things that were different in this reality (namely the murderous nature of her parents), it was actually somewhat of a relief that at least someone had maintained an integral part of their personality. At least Regina hadn't delivered them a thinly veiled threat in the form of a basket of apples.

Surprisingly, once she got Regina to listen, it turned out to be incredibly easy to convince her to help them. Well, easy in the fact that Emma's confession seemed to resonate with her immediately. For Emma, voicing how she was feeling out loud (the love for her pirate; her contempt for the Author and Rumplestiltskin; and the regret that she hadn't told Killian how she felt, the regret that she hadn't been able to save him) was almost physically painful. The whole time she talked, she could feel the tears building, threatening to spill over. Thankfully, Regina agreed to help before she lost it completely.

Now they were off to crash a wedding.

-/-

They were okay. Henry was okay. She was okay. And her pirate was okay. They were all back and they were all okay.

When she had come up to the loft and Killian was nowhere to be found, her heart had almost stopped beating. Her primary motivation in restoring this reality had been her want, her need, to bring Hook back. If he was gone she had no idea what she would do. She would find a way to carry on; she always had. But she hadn't been lying when she had told him that she couldn't lose him. She might have been able to go on, but she knew that she would never have loved another the way she loved him.

But lying atop him in her bed; it was one of the happiest moments of her life. She was so happy to see him that she hadn't had the time to berate him for scaring her to death. When she had reached the top of the stairs after realizing that he was alive, it was all she could do to hold him tightly to her and never let go.

She almost told him that she loved him, right then and there. The words had almost slipped out of her mouth. And yet…as soon as the word _I_ was on her tongue, she couldn't do it. She wasn't ready. But Killian, the ever patient man that he was, gave her a look telling her that he understood, that he would wait as long as she needed.

She would tell him later. They had all the time in the world.


	13. Epilogue

It was a night many months later — after the Dark One had been defeated and its Dagger destroyed once and for all — when Emma Swan was finally able to tell Killian Jones that she loved him without the threat of Darkness hanging over their heads. They were sitting on the couch in the living room of _her own place_ , a blanket thrown over their legs and empty mugs of hot chocolate and cinnamon on the table. A fire was crackling in the fireplace, and they had a perfect view of the sunset from one of the many windows in the room. Henry was at Regina's for the night, leaving the two of them alone.

It was there, in _their_ home, that Emma directed the words "I love you" toward him for the second time. When she said it, her pirate looked at her with soft eyes, which (although they were happy) showed no surprise whatsoever.

"I know. And I love you, my bloody brilliant Swan," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.

They might live in Storybrooke, which meant that every so often they would have to deal with one crisis or another. But no matter who they were — a Pirate and a Princess, a Deckhand and a Swan, a Savior and a Good Man, or just simply Emma and Killian — they would face it how they always did.

 _Together_.


End file.
